Unnamed

Chapter Sixteen

Shock fills my senses and I find myself gaping at her.

"Come, I'll show you," she states, once again leading me through the streets of Smokey Hollow.

The two men guarding the gates are pale, with hollow eyes that still show thought and emotion. Something about them screams death to me, and I find myself shrinking back from them. The hems of their pants are ripped and dusty, and as in the painting, they wear no shoes.

"Trivania, 'tis good to see you," one of them says. "But I thought today was your day off."

"It is, but I've something I need to do."

The wrought iron gates open slowly, and Trivania leads me through them. A narrow lane leads through a thick wood that curves over the cobbled street. Flowering vines climb the trees and hang down over the lane. The vines themselves are bright colors blending seamlessly into one another while the flowers are black. My jaw drops at the beauty of the scene.

My head swivels around, taking in every detail, until we stop at a lower wall. Prowling through the wood is a large creature that seems to be part lion and part bird.

"What is that?" I question, my voice barely above a whisper.

Trivania laughs as the gate swings open and we step through it. "Manticore. There's none of those in Faelus?"

"I wouldn't know. I've been in Earth Realm for the last fourteen years. My memory was mostly wiped in the ritual to get there."

"I didn't even know it was possible. I thought the portal had been sealed millennia ago."

"Delaine, the one who sent me, says that the original one was sealed. This one is done by a ritual."

Trivania nods. Two guards open the doors of the castle. The entryway is dark wood paneling and stone floors with paintings strewn about between lanterns.

"Wow," I breathe.

"I'll never tire of this place."

"It's beautiful."

Trivania leads me up two flights of stairs and down endless corridors with dark wood paneling and those same dark stone floors.

We finally enter a room filled with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and over-filled leather seating arrangements. A huge fireplace breaks up the shelves, and double doors lead into an office.

I barely have time to take in the beauty of the library as Trivania hurries into the office.

Shelves filled with journals, parchment, and thick leather-bound books line the walls, broken up by a large wooden desk.

Trivania searches the bookcase above the desk for a short moment before pulling down a rolled parchment. A single sheet of paper is rolled within the parchment.

"This is your prophecy," she tells me, pointing at the elegant script covering the pages.

It's written in a language that I recognize, although I can't read it.

"I can't read this," I confess quietly.

"I figured as much." She pulls a leather-bound book from the desk and flips through it for a moment before placing it before me. "Here's the translation. It's in Arcana, you can read it, too?"

I nod and look down at the book.

The Northern Star is one who will aid in uniting the peoples of our Realms. Evil will be conquered and destroyed, and lives shall be saved. The power held in the Star is unlike any we have seen before, save for one: the Southern Star.

Of a species of power, more so than all others, the two Stars will be half of an entity that shall overthrow the evil of their homeland.

The Northern Star will be sent away for her protection. She will return to her home after two-hundred moons.

The Southern Star shall never leave.

A child will be born, The Eastern Star or Galaxies, and after one-hundred-fifty moons, she shall be sent away. Orphaned soon thereafter, the Northern Star shall become her new parent, and training will begin after fifty-five moons.

On the eclipse, in the homeland, The Western Star, the fighter, will be born, completing the circle of power.

After two-hundred-fifty moons, the four Stars will band together to overthrow the evil of their homeland.

The Northern Star will be the true savior of the homeland, pulling the Stars together under the teaching of the Southern Star. The Eastern and Western Stars will follow them into battle. 

....

A/N: 

Hey, Lovelies! 

I know this is a really short chapter, but there was really no more that I could cram in there. The prophecy in itself is enough, in my opinion. 

But what do you think? 

Who do you think the Eastern, Western, and Southern Stars are? I think I gave y'all enough clues, right? How about the evil that needs to overthrown? 

Please let me know what you think of this chapter down in the comments below! If you liked this chapter, please click that little star button. I can assure you that comments and votes mean the world to me. 

Until next time, 

<3 Jess